Moderate Drinking May Be Protective Against Diabetes

FRIDAY, July 28, 2017 (HealthDay News) -- Pattern of alcohol consumption may play a role in risk of type 2 diabetes, according to a study published online July 27 in Diabetologia.

The research included data from the Danish Health Examination Survey. The survey of 76,484 people was done in 2007 to 2008. The participants provided details of their alcohol consumption, lifestyle, and overall health; they were followed through 2012, with a median follow-up of 4.9 years.

The researchers found that the lowest risk of diabetes was seen at 14 drinks/week in men (hazard ratio [HR], 0.57) and at nine drinks/week in women (HR, 0.42), compared to no alcohol intake. Consumption of alcohol on three or four days weekly versus less than one day a week was associated with significantly lower risk for diabetes in men (HR, 0.73) and women (HR, 0.68), after adjustment for confounders.

"In conclusion, we found support for a non-linear relationship between alcohol consumption and risk of diabetes in men and women from the general population," the authors write. "Our results further indicate that frequent consumption of alcohol is associated with the lowest risk of diabetes, even after taking average weekly alcohol consumption into account."